Business has been reasonably active across the majority of U.S. trade lanes this week. Several European routes enjoyed a busy week, but others were left dangling. Asia was quiet due to the holidays.-by Adrian Brown

India, the worlds third-largest finished lubricants market, does not have a nationwide trade group to represent the industry. A number of companies are now looking to remedy that by forming an association to act as their unified voice, after a consultant floated the idea at a Mumbai conference earlier this month.

As Sri Lanka reviews applications from companies wanting to join the nations closed lubricant market, an official with the industrys regulating agency said new competition could very well eat into market shares of existing suppliers.

Fresh from its official opening of a lubricants blending plant near Sydney, Fuchs Lubricants Australasia said it is also expanding its grease production plant in Melbourne to meet growing demand in the key mining, agricultural and commercial transport markets down under.

Japans Moresco Corp. started construction of a lubricant blending plant in India this month, and completion is expected early next year, a company spokesman told Lube Report Asia.